What does aging businessman Murray Schwartz do when his old-school bookshop goes belly up? John Turturro’s comedy, Fading Gigolo, which opens in Toronto on May 23, provides the answer: Schwartz (Woody Allen), in a radical makeover, becomes a pimp.
In Fading Gigolo, set in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg district, Schwartz and his long-time employee, Fioravante (Turturro), are packing up books one last time when Schwartz abruptly changes the subject. His dermatologist, Dr. Parker, (Sharon Stone), has let it be known that she and her younger friend, Selima, (Sofia Vergara), would not mind participating in a menage a trois.
Sensing a financial opportunity in the ladies’ carnal desires, Schwartz suggests that Fioravante — a melancholic bachelor who doubles as a florist — is just the man for the job. He’s shocked by Schwartz’s proposal, but Schwartz is persistent.
“You have a certain kind of sex appeal,” he says. “Some guys look better when they’re naked.” He closes his argument with a flattering observation: “You’re an experienced lover. Why not get paid for it?”
A sensitive soul, Fioravante can’t wrap his head around the idea of turning tricks as a prostitute. But neither can he resist the allure of easy money. Before too long, he’s servicing Dr. Parker in her condo. Stone, looking elegant, plays this minor role to the hilt.
Incredibly enough, a Hassidic Jewish woman is at the center of the action. Before she reveals herself in all her glory, we’re introduced to Dovi (Liev Schreiber), an ultra-Orthodox policeman sporting sidelocks who patrols Williamsburg’s Hassidic quarter. The first scene in which he appears seems pointless, but Turturro has a story up his sleeve.
As Fioravante learns the tricks of his trade, he begins feeling guilty. Don’t worry, says Schwartz. “You’re helping her self-esteem,” he observes in reference to Dr. Parker. Besides, he adds, you’ve got to make a living. At Schwartz’s suggestion, he chooses a brand name. From now on, he’ll be known as Virgil.
Fading Gigolo makes a sharp U-turn in terms of plot and character at this juncture. Suddenly, Avigal (Vanessa Paradis), a rabbi’s widow with six children, shows up. She’s an attractive Orthodox woman, and she requires a bit of “therapy” Schwartz is only too glad to provide.
Upon meeting Virgil, she asks the obvious question: “Are you Jewish?”
“Sephardic,” he replies, adding a Ladino phrase to impress her.
Virgil massages her back, prompting her to cry. Confiding in Virgil, Avigal admits she hasn’t felt a man’s touch since her husband’s death and is lonely. It’s clear that Avigal likes Virgil. When she meets him again, she asks, “Did you attend yeshiva?” No, he says. He serves her a kosher meal, and she compliments him on his culinary skills and his expertise as a masseur. He does not know that Dovi has already made a pass at Avigal.
Schwartz is next seen teaching Hassidic and black boys how to play baseball. Clearly, Turturro is fixated on Hassidim. In the following scenes, Schwartz is abducted by Dovi and taken to a rabbinic court. Schwartz owes the rabbis an explanation. Avigal, having been seen in the company of Virgil, has sent shock waves throughout the insular Hassidic community.
Avigal is the mystery woman in Fading Gigolo. At once aloof and accessible, she’s an unknown quantity, modest yet alluring, and Paradis turns her into an exotic and riveting presence. Turturro exudes old world charm, and Allen, looking every inch his age, is a whirlwind of chutzpa and energy.
Despite the superior performances, Fading Gigolo is a strange and curious hybrid, the story lines existing in parallel and irreconcilable worlds. The various components do not mesh, and the gears grind audibly. Nice try.